1. Field
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to non-aqueous electrolytes and lithium air batteries including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, research on developing battery systems capable of providing the high energy densities required by electric vehicles has been actively conducted in academia and industry, and interest in lithium air batteries that are theoretically capable of providing the highest energy densities among conventional systems has been growing.
A lithium air battery has a theoretical energy density of about 3000 Wh/kg or more, which corresponds to about 10 times that of a lithium ion battery. Furthermore, a lithium air battery is environmentally friendly and may be safer to use than a lithium ion battery. Accordingly, many advances are being made in the development of lithium air batteries.
A lithium air battery includes a positive electrode (oxygen electrode), a negative electrode (lithium metal), and an electrolyte. When a lithium air battery operates, release (during battery charging) and absorption (during battery discharging) of lithium occur at the negative electrode while reduction (during battery discharging) and release (during battery charging) of oxygen occur at the positive electrode.
In a lithium air battery, capacity and lifespan of a battery system is determined by reduction and release of oxygen at the positive electrode. Lithium oxides (Li2O, Li2O2) produced by reduction of oxygen during battery discharging do not easily dissolve in organic solvents and thus block pores in an electrode, thereby increasing the charging voltage and deteriorating the lifespan and capacity of the battery.